Sequence relay

ABSTRACT

A sequence relay includes a coil mounted on a frame. Current through the coil will drive an armature from a first position to a second position. Attached to the frame is a biased lifter which may translate from a biased first position to a second position by operation of the armature. A pawl mounted on the frame engages the lifter in the second position to hold it in that position even though the armature is released by the coil. When the armature is subsequently operated, it engages and releases the pawl from the lifter, thereby permitting the biased lifter to assume its first position. Switching is effected by an extension of the lifter which engages contacts and moves them from a first to a second position.

i United States Patent 1 Obszarny [4 1 May 22, 1973' [73] Assignee: Guardian Electric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.

[52] US. Cl. ..335/l65, 335/107, 335/253 [51] Int. Cl. ..H0lh 9/24 [58] Field of Search ..335/l65, 135, 187,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1961 Murphy 335/107 6/1969 Lotspeich et a1. ..335/123 3,244,836 4/1966 Myers ..335/253 Primary Examiner-Harold Broome AtmmeyA. W. Molinare, Allegretti, Newitt & Witcoff 5 7 ABSTRACT A sequence relay includes a coil mounted on a frame. Current through the coil will drive an armature from a first position to a second position. Attached to the frame is a biased lifter which may translate from a biased first position to a second position by operation of the armature. A pawl mounted on the frame engages the lifter in the second position to hold it in that position even though the armature is released by the coil. When the armature is subsequently operated, it engages and releases the pawl from the lifter, thereby permitting the biased lifter to assume its first position. Switching is effected by an extension of the lifter which engages contacts and moves them from a first to a second position.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 SEQUENCE RELAY CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 185,240 filed Sept. 30, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,857.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to relays and, in particular, to a sequence relay of the type which provides an on/off, on/off repeated sequence. Applicant incorporates by reference to the entire specification and claims from the above-identified U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,857 (Ser. No. 185,240 filed Sept. 30, 1971) as background for this application. There, a sequence relay is disclosed with a coil spring attached to the free end of a pivoted armature of the relay. The end of the spring is engageable with a biased lifter or alternatively a pawl that holds the lifter. The end of the spring is L shaped for engagement with the lifter or pawl as the case may be.

Because of the shape of the end of the spring and the path of travel by the lifter and pawl, the armature may be spaced an undesirable distance from the coil. To reduce the size of the coil and permit improved tolerances in the relay of the invention, the present improvement was made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a principal aspect, the present invention comprises an improved sequence relay ofthe type having a frame with an armature mounted on the frame and a coil for driving the armature in response to a signal input to the coil. Contact means are provided which are operated in response to movement of the armature. Improved means are provided for interconnecting the armature with the contact means and thereby provide the sequential operation of the relay. Generally, these improved means comprise a translatable lifter means movable between a first and a second position and means for locking the lifter means in one of the positions after it is driven there by operation of the annature. The next sequential operation of the armature disengages the locking. means and permits the lifter means to be returned to its original position. Associated with the armature is means for driving the lifter and the locking means. The means for driving provides for differential paths of travel for driving the lifter and the locking means.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a sequence relay which provides an on/off repeat sequence.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sequence relay having a fewer number of parts than known prior art relays.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sequence relay which is a high-speed relay that can be mounted in any position and still be operated with completed reliability.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in greater detail in the description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side, elevation view of the improved relay of the present invention wherein the relay is in the first position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the relay as shown in Flg. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the improved drive and paw] mechanism incorporated as part of the sequence relay of the invention;

Flg. 4 illustrates the sequential operation of the drive and pawl mechanism shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates the further sequential operation of the drive and pawl mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the coil spring used to drive the pawl and lifter of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The sequential operation of the relay of the present invention is the same as set forth in the parent application to this application. That is, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the first step or first position in the sequence of operation of the relay, these FIGURES being a side view and an end view respectively of the relay when in this first position. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 represent separate steps in the sequence of operation of the relay. Of course, the starting point for the sequence of operation is arbitrary and depends upon the initial condition of the relay. In the following description, therefore, the component parts of the relay of the present invention will first be described. Following this description, an explanation of the operation of the relay will be set forth to further il lustrate the construction as well as explain the operation of the relay.

Referring to the FIGURES then, the relay includes a coil 10 mounted on a field or frame 12. The frame 12 includes a base run 14, an armature attachment run 16 and a lifter attachment run 18. An armature mounting bracket 20 is attached to run 16 by means of a screw 22. An armature 24 is secured between bracket 20 and run 16, and is normally biased into the first position illustrated in FIG. 1 by means of an armature biasing spring 26. The armature 24 thus pivots about an axis defined by a slot 28 through the bracket 20 at the end of run 16. The travel of armature 24, due to the biasing action of spring 26 is limited by a forward extension 30 of bracket 20 as illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 thus illustrates the first position of the armature as well as the other moving components of the relay.

Contact sets 32 are mounted on the bracket 20. This particular arrangement of contact sets is by way of illustration only, and any desired arrangement of contact sets and the contacts comprising these sets may be utilized within the scope of this invention. The illustration is this not to be considered as limiting in any way.

In the present embodiment, however, the contact sets 32 do provide an additional function for the operation of the relay. That is, included as part of the contact sets is a movable contact blade 34. This contact blade 34 engages a lifter 36. The lifter 36 is mounted for translatable movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the armature 24. The contact blade 34 projects through an opening 38 in the lifter 36. The lifter 36 is thus normally biased by the blade 34 into an upward or first position. It should be noted that in this first position, the contact blade 34 includes a contact 40 which engages a fixed contact 42 to thereby complete a circuit between blades 44 and 46 respectively.

The lifter 36 is maintained in a slidable, translatable position adjacent run 18 by a saddle 48. The run 18 includes a plurality of notches engageable by tabs 53 and 54 extending from the saddle 48. The saddle 48 may thus be positioned precisely on the run 18 and locked into position therewith. The lifter'36 is thus translatable in the channel defined by the saddle 48 and run 18.

The lifter 36 includes a stud 56 which extends outwardly and perpendicular to the lifter 36. A window 58 is defined in the saddle 48. Note also that the lifter 36 also includes a window 60 through which a forward extension 62 of the armature 24 projects.

A shaft or pin 64 is attached to and extends outwardly from the run 18 through a longitudinal slot 66 in lifter 36. A pawl 68 is pivotally attached to the shaft 64 and is normally biased in the clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2 by a biasing spring 70 passing about the shaft 64 and connected at one end against the pawl 68 and at its opposite ends against a lug 72 on saddle 48. Pawl 68 includes a radially extending arm 74 with a projecting leg 76 from the arm. The arm 74 includes a stud engaging surface 78. The leg 76 is arcuately shaped and includes a stud stop surface 80, a guide surface 82 and engage surface 84.

A pawl driving spring 86 is attached to the forward extension 62 of the armature 24 by a pan head screw 88. As shown in FIG. 1, the pan head screw 88 cooperates with the spring 86 and a locking palnut 90 to secure the spring 86 to the forward extension 62. The spring 86 terminates at its lower end with an extension leg 92. The spring 86 is flexible and is typically fashioned from music wire. The extension leg 92 is adapted to engage a channel 94 defined in the stud 56.

Referring to FIG. 6, the extension 92 is formed to a particular shape. That is, extension 92 has a first depending arcuate section 100 which terminates a distance x beyond the last coil of spring 86. Section 100 engages the stud 56 to drive the lifter 36.

Extension 92 includes a second section 102 which is for engagement with the surface 84 of leg 76 of pawl 68 when driving pawl 68 out of engagement with stud 56. Section 102 is spaced a distance y beyond the last coil of spring 86. Because the pawl 68 is spaced from the lifter 36, and because the sections 100 and 102 of extension 92 are not equally spaced from the last coil of spring 86, the effective length of spring 86 is varied for the pawl 68 vis-a-vis the lifter 36.

Thus, if a; is greater than y, it is possible to decrease spacing of the armature 24 from coil and still maintain the maximum desired travel of lifter 36. Switching can thus be more positive with greater reliability.

By this structure, it is possible to vary the relationship and the amount of travel imparted by the spring 86 to the pawl 68 and lifter 36 independently to thereby achieve the most desired switching characteristics. Thus, x may be less than, greater than or equal to y as desired and in an amount desired to control the switching characteristics of the relay.

The sequence of operation is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5. Starting with the first step in the operation of the relay as illustrated in FIG. 2, the relay is in the first posi tion. In this position, the stud 56 is positioned at the also includes an opposite surface 97 that engages the side of window 58 and maintains lifter 36 in a proper vertical orientation.

When current passes through the coil 10, the armature 24 is attracted downward from engagement with the extension 30. This drives the spring 86 with section 100 of its extension leg 92 into engagement with the channel 94 of stud 56. The lifter 36 is thus driven down into a second position as illustrated in FIG. 3. As this stud 56 is driven down, the spring causes the pawl 68 to be biased in a clockwise direction, thereby engaging the stud 56 with the pawl 68. The surface 78 thus engages the surface 96 and stops the rotation of the pawl 68. The surface engages the stud 56 at a locking nub 57 and prevents its movement upward from the second position.

When current to the coil ceases, the flexible spring 86 and, in particular, the extension leg 92 slides over the guide surface 82 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The spring 86 thus bends permitting section 102 of the extension leg 92 to travel along the guide surface 82, thereby permitting the armature to assume the upward position. The relay is thus locked in the second position.

The next step in the sequence of operation is illustrated by FIG. 5. The coil 10 has again been activated to cause the armature 24 to be driven downward. This time, section 102 of the extension leg 92 engages the engage surface 84, thereby driving the pawl 68 in a counterclockwise direction. This disengages the pawl 68 from the nub 57 of stud 56 permitting the spring action of blades 34 to raise the lifter 36.

While in the foregoing there has been described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved sequence relay of the type having an armature on a frame, means for driving said armature in response to a signal input to said relay, contact means operated in response to movement of said armature, and improved means for operating said contact means in response to movement of said armature, said improved means comprising, in combination:

lifter means mounted on said frame for driving said contact means, said lifter means translatable between a first position and a second position, drive means attached to said armature, said drive means engageable with said lifter means to translate said lifter means from said first position to said second position; means for locking said lifter means in said second position whenever said lifter means is driven by said drive means from said first position to said second position, said drive means also engageable with said means for locking whenever said lifter means is in said second position to disengage said means for locking from said lifter means; and means for translating said lifter means from said second position to said first position when said means for locking is disengaged, said drive means including means for providing a first amount of travel for said lifter means and a second amount of travel for said means for locking.

2. The improved relay of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprise means extending from said armature and having a first section for driving said lifter means and a second section for driving said means for locking.

3. The improved relay of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprise a first section spaced a first distance from said armature and a second section spaced a lesser distance from said armature. l II I! l 

1. An improved sequence relay of the type having an armature on a frame, means for driving said armature in response to a signal input to said relay, contact means operated in response to movement of said armature, and improved means for operating said contact means in response to movement of said armature, said improved means comprising, in combination: lifter means mounted on said frame for driving said contact means, said lifter means translatable between a first position and a second position, drive means attached to said armature, said drive means engageable with said lifter means to translate said lifter means from said first position to said second position; means for locking said lifter means in said second position whenever said lifter means is driven by said drive means from said first position to said second position, said drive means also engageable with said means for locking whenever said lifter means is in said second position to disengage said means for locking from said lifter means; and means for translating said lifter means from said second position to said first position when said means for locking is disengaged, said drive means including means for providing a first amount of travel for said lifter means and a second amount of travel for said means for locking.
 2. The improved relay of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprise means extending from said armature and having a first section for driving said lifter means and a second section for driving said means for locking.
 3. The improved relay of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprise a first section spaced a first distance from said armature and a second section spaced a lesser distance from said armature. 